The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - June 27, 2025

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Friday, June 27th and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Assistant Editor Rob Lauschus and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, in a historic 6-3 opinion, the Supreme Court of the United States placed constraint on the power of the judiciary to issue broad nationwide injunctions, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett writing that even when the executive branch unlawfully exceeds its powers, the judiciary is not justified in doing the same in response. The decision represents a partial win for the Trump administration's Department of Justice,

Starting point is 00:00:43 which raised the question while defending Trump's executive order ending automatic birth rights citizenship for the children of non-citizens who were not legally present in the US at the time of the birth. The question was prompted when Trump's order was blocked by multiple nationwide injunctions by federal district courts. With the administration being on the losing end of an unprecedented number of nationwide injunctions, the DOJ's defense included a challenge to the very authority of the courts

Starting point is 00:01:12 to issue such sweeping relief, a strategy which paid off. Barrett explained that to this day, the federal courts derived their powers to issue injunctions, which is called equity powers, from the Judiciary Act of 1789, but that in passing the act, Congress did not give quote, freewheeling power to the courts. Next, the Supreme Court of the United States has upheld a Texas law requiring websites that intentionally publish quote, sexual material harmful to minors, end quote, to verify the

Starting point is 00:01:43 user's age. The six to three decision in free speech coalition versus Paxton was delivered by Justice Clarence Thomas writing that quote, the power to require age verification is within a state's authority to prevent children from accessing sexually explicit content. The case originated in 2023 after the Texas legislature passed House Bill 1181 by Representative Matt Shaheen. The case originated in 2023 after the Texas legislature passed House Bill 1181 by Representative Matt Shaheen. The law requires a website that intentionally publishes sexual material harmful to minors to verify the user's age through digital identification, or a third-party verification system that uses government-issued identification, or a quote, commercially reasonable method that relies on public

Starting point is 00:02:27 or private transactional data to verify the age of an individual, the free speech coalition and adult entertainment advocacy group challenged the age verification law on the basis that it is overbroad and fails strict scrutiny and asked the courts to deem it unconstitutional and unenforceable. In other news, some Texas lawmakers strict scrutiny and asked the courts to deem it unconstitutional and unenforceable. In other news, some Texas lawmakers and conservative organizations are urging Governor Greg Abbott to add a previously

Starting point is 00:02:53 unsuccessful bill, quote, in response to the alarming threat of abortion pills, end quote, to his special session call for July 21st. In a letter authored by Texas right to life president Dr. John Segoe sent to governor Greg Abbott on June 24th signed by a total of eight senators, 29 house representatives, 15 members of the state Republican executive committee, 30 organizations or other individuals, and lieutenant governor Dan Patrick Abbott prompted to, quote, stop these deadly drugs and take swift, decisive action. Senate Bill 2880, also known as the Woman and Child Protection Act, sought to curb the

Starting point is 00:03:33 distribution of chemical abortion pills in Texas through a private right of action, additional powers granted to the Texas Attorney General, and liability extended for wrongful death of a preborn child. As a national pressure campaign rose during the end of the 89th regular legislative session due to the bill's extended time in the House State Affairs Committee, Chairman Ken King voted it out on May 23rd. However, the bill never saw the light of day as the committee report was never sent to the calendars committee so that it could be brought up on the house floor.

Starting point is 00:04:06 Last but not least, another blow has been struck against the completion of a high speed rail project proposed to run between Dallas and Houston as Renfe, the Spanish owned company that was contracted as the project's early operator, has liquidated its US subsidiary. According to reports from Spain, Renfe has put its American subsidiary company, Renfe of America, into liquidation, recognizing losses of over $5 million and recording a 100% impairment on investments made over the past five years.

Starting point is 00:04:40 Jennifer Stevens, spokesperson to reroute the route, a group that opposes the high-speed rail project from Dallas to Houston, said of the latest development, quote, Texas Central has continued to refuse to be transparent with any stakeholders, public or private involved in this project. Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure to visit thetexan.news and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters,

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The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - June 27, 2025

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